I’m a cloud and DevOps leader, a speaker, and a builder based in the Chicago area. I like figuring out how things work — and how to make them work better for the people who use them.
For more than 20 years, my work has taken me across technology teams, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The tools have changed, but the goal has stayed pretty consistent: help people solve problems, improve how they work, and share what we learn.
Cloud, code, and the people behind them
Most days, you’ll find me working with Azure, GitHub, automation, and the practices that help teams deliver better software. I’m interested in the whole picture: the technology, the process, and especially the people.
I also enjoy getting out of my own environment and talking with others. I regularly speak at and attend user groups and conferences around Chicagoland and beyond, sharing practical lessons about DevOps, observability, cloud migration, and leadership.
Explore my speaking and talks →
A builder at home, too
The tinkering doesn’t stop when the workday ends. My homelab and home automation projects are where I try ideas, break things, and learn something new. A lot of those experiments find their way onto this blog.
Community
Helping people is the thread that connects my professional and personal life. I’m involved with DevOpsDays Chicago, bringing people together to share experiences and learn from one another.
My community work also includes years with Junior Chamber International (JCI), known here as the Jaycees. In 2016, I became the first African American State President of the Illinois Jaycees, serving an organization of more than 2,000 members across over 60 chapters. My local chapter, the Mount Prospect Jaycees, honored me with a JCI Senatorship.
That experience continues to shape how I think about leadership: show up, help others grow, and leave things better than you found them.
My corner of the internet
I registered gogorichie.com in 2002. Since then, it’s been a home for experiments, stories, and whatever I’m curious about next. The blog is still a big part of that — now with a little more room for the person behind the posts.
If something here sparks an idea, find me on LinkedIn or say hello on Bluesky.